The French navy has arrested nine suspected Somali pirates, foiling their attempt to hijack a cargo ship. According to French military sources, the French Frigate Le Floreal, which was patrolling the waters off the coast of Somalia, dispatched a navy military helicopter on Tuesday after receiving a distress call from the cargo vessel African Ruby, which came under attack from armed men on board two speeding boats, AFP reported.
The navy helicopter pursued the pirate boats in international waters off the coast of the northern Somali region of Puntland.
However, French sources provided no information on the real owners of the African Ruby and where the arrested pirates may end up, a Press TV correspondent reported.
French warships are stationed in the Gulf of Aden as part of a multinational naval force set up to tackle the piracy menace on the transit route that connects to the Suez Canal.
The drastic decrease in pirate attacks over the past few weeks has been attributed to the presence of the international warships and self-protection measures taken by merchant ships en route to the Gulf of Aden.
Many shipping companies have been compelled to redirect their vessels after numerous ship seizures by pirates, who demand millions of dollars to release them.